Audio-visual concentration drill and puzzle process

ABSTRACT

A method of inducing concentration of a listener being adaptable for learning or entertainment purposes, the method comprising a producing of a continuing display of audible and apprehensible matter translatable into numbers, letters, or other symbols, and superimposing thereon distracting sounds effective to particularly mask and obscure such matter, the listener being required to transcribe a translation of the matter into an array in a preselected manner which will indicate a level of concentration obtained by the listener.

United States Patent Clifford [451 June20, 1972 AUDIO-VISUALCONCENTRATION DRILL AND PUZZLE PROCESS Daniel Clifford, 7631 EastlakeTerrace, Chicago, Ill. 60626 Filed: May 7, 1970 Appl. No.: 35,355

Inventor:

US. Cl. ..35/8 A Int. Cl. ..G09b 5/04 Field of Search ..35/22 R, 8 A, 35C, I, I4

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 4/1971 Canada ..35/35 HOTHER PUBLICATIONS Effective Listening" Brochure of the Zerox Corp.,page 3.

Primary Examiner-Wm. I-I. Grieb Attorney-Petherbridge, O'Neill &Lindgren A881 RACT A method of inducing concentration of a listenerbeing adaptable for learning or entertainment purposes, the methodcomprising a producing of a continuing display of audible andapprehensible matter translatable into numbers, letters, or othersymbols, and superimposing thereon distracting sounds effective toparticularly mask and obscure such matter, the listener being requiredto transcribe a translation of the matter into an array in a preselectedmanner which will indicate a level of concentration obtained by thelistener.

14 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures CI C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 PATENTI-iflwuzo m23. 670.472

FIGI FIGZ 0| 02 C3C4C5C6 C768 A RI R2 2 3 4 R3 4 s s 1 78 R4 D 3 6 8 7 5B R5 5 a? 6 R6 6 5 4 R7 R8 4 3 2 INVENTOR.

DANIEL CLIFFORD BY FM (QM-W ATTORNEYS.

AUDIO-VISUAL CONCENTRATION DRILL AND PUZZLE PROCESS Distraction isgenerally defined as nothing more than paying attention to somethingthat is not a part of the main activity of the moment. When distractiontakes place attention shifts involuntarily unless a specific effort ismade to concentrate on the chosen activity.

The instant invention is directed toward a method of transmittingaudible apprehensible matter in a particular manner which will require aspecific concentrative effort by a participant listener in order thatthe matter be adequately comprehended so it may be translated and theneither written down or recorded in a manner which can be scored tothereby determine a level of concentration achieved by the listener. Itis apparent that such a method could be easily adapted to games andpuzzles for entertainment and/or educational endeavors.

It is contemplated that the instant invention have audio recordings ofmatter such as instructions and symbols which, by themselves, would beeasily understandable by a listener; and superimposing on such matterinterfering sounds such as music, tones and beats which will mask anddistract and thereby interfere with the reception of receivingintelligence from such matter thereby forcing the listener to focusspecifically on what intelligence is being transmitted. It is alsocomprehended that as the matter is received and understood by thelistener it be transcribed in a particular manner which can be evaluatedand scored.

More specifically, the foregoing employs a number of simple problemsgiven audibly in a sequence the answers of which are entered as symbolson a prepared array, such as a rectangular arrangement of columns androws, geometrical figures or arranged designated spaces in a preselectedsequence from which levels of concentration can be determined,

The foregoing and other advantages and features of the process will beapparent from the following more particular description of a preferredmethod of practicing the invention, as partially illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a typical rectangular array of rows and columns;

FIG. 2 is a circular array arranged in quadrants having pecularilydesignated spaces; and

FIG. 3 is a typical array of various geometrically shaped figuresarranged in specific patterns.

PREFERRED METHOD The instant invention relates to a method whichutilizes the transmission of apprehensible material to a participantlistener in such a manner that a more than normal effort ofconcentration will be required by him to assure that the content of thematerial is comprehended. The comprehended material is thensimultaneously translated into suitable symbols which are thentranscribed into particular patterns which can be scored and the levelof concentrative effort of the participant can be evaluated.

The apprehensible material is usually in the form of sounds and/orvoices recorded on a sound track of a record or magnetic tape which canbe played back at will. The subject matter of the material may betranslatable to represent concepts, letters, numbers, words, ormeanings. The translatable sounds may include voices givinginstructions, simple problems or identification which may also beaudibly recorded and used either by themselves or in combination withother non-vocal sounds which are able to be interpreted by theparticipant. These translatable sounds form an audible foreground on therecording.

Also recorded on either the same sound track or on an adjacent track,for instance as is done on stereo recordings, are sounds such as music,tones and overtones, beats, and the like which are audibly superimposedon the translatable sounds to provide a background sound that interferesand is operative to produce a distracting media, causing the listeningparticipant to shift back and forth between the sounds thereby forcing afocus of attention or concentration on the translatable sound in orderthat the intelligible matter being disseminated is comprehended andunderstood.

These interfering sounds are carefully chosen for their masking anddistracting affect. Masking sounds are synchronized with thetranslatable sounds such that tone, intensity and pitch of theinterfering sounds are effective to obscure and mask, but will notobliterate the translatable sounds to an extent that they can not beunderstood, comprehended or subject to interpretation. The level ofinterference may be varied in proportion with the anticipated difficultypresented by the translatable sounds.

The distracting efiect of the interfering sounds are chosen not so muchfor their masking qualities, but rather for their capacity to entice theparticipant to be called away from comprehending the translatable soundsbecause of their unusual sound, beat or melody.

However both the masking and distracting sounds work together on thelistener to cause a continual shifting from the foreground (focus) tothe background (anti-focus). The listener is continually driven tostruggle with the interfering sounds and is thereby forced into inducedconcentration because of the fact that the interfering sounds areaudibly superimposed on the translatable sounds as hereinbeforedescribed.

The method of inducing forced concentration described above uses thefocus and anti-focus of the recording to cause and develop listening andreasoning concentration whereby the translatable sounds which representconcepts, letters, numbers, words or meaning, can be translated intonumbers, letters or other simple symbols. The translation of thetranslatable sounds into symbols is then combined with visual meanswhere spacial notions and sequence notions can be used and developed.Therefore, the concentration process may be developed on a spacial basisseparate from traditional writing or speech, and abstract symbols andlocations can be developed separately from established letters, wordsand means.

Turning attention to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, which illustrate typical meansfor transcribing in a predetennined manner the quantity of intelligencethe listener has received and comprehended from the translatablematerial on the recordings.

Instructions may be given that answers transcribable as numbers, lettersor other symbols be recorded by the listener in a selected manner onarrays shown in the Figures. For instance in FIG. 1 the translatablesounds may be disemminate problems in a given sequence which, beingtranslatable into symbols, are placed in order in rows or columns or thesquares of the rectangular array of FIG. I in a preselected manner. Thiswould consist of a drill which could be easily scored to determine thelevel of concentration effected by the participant listener.

FIG. 2 may be combined with the concentration process to form locationpuzzles. Location puzzles consist of individual problems preceded by alocation number as disemminated by the translatable sounds on therecording. For example A3 (with problem) followed by B7 (with problem).If a. problem is comprehended and solved, a written symbol or othermeans, such as differently colored discs representing symbols, areplaced within the subject location. This process is repeated until allthe locations in each quadrant are used. It is apparent that a gamehaving more than one participant, each taking individual quadrants i.e.A,B,C,D, could compete with one another, where the winner would be theone who fills this quadrant first with the proper symbols in the correctlocations.

It should also be mentioned that the rectangular array of FIG. I couldbe modified such that a Bingo-type game could be created by blocking offsome of the squares and representing the others with location numbers,where each participant would receive his individual and different card.The process as delineated for the location puzzle mentioned above wouldbe employed and the game carried out similar to a typical bingo gameexcept the level of concentration of the participants would be acriteria for winning rather than chance.

FIG. 3 is another form of game where geometric figures are I utilizedand co-ordinated with the translatable material in order that problems,letters or the like comprehended from the translatable sounds can betranslated into predetermined symbols and recorded by the participant inthe various geometrical figures in a preselected manner which will beindicative of the concentrative effort made by the participant.

It should be understood that FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are not to be taken as atotal representation of ways in which the novel method hereinbeforedescribed can be utilized. it is apparent that the concentration processcan be combined with various visual means of the character delineatedabove to form numerous drills, games and puzzles which can be used tofurther educational skills such as the development of concentration andreasoning, and also inducing a learning process which teaches theparticipant to focus on particular stimulus to the exclusion of similarinterfering stimuli. it can also be appreciated that the above mentionedpuzzles and games are merely suggestive of the entertainmentpossibilities of such a combination of the concentration process witharrays of the type which will induce a competitive spirit among theparticipants to excel in the level of concentration which they canindividually achieve.

Therefore the preferred method hereinbefore described is chosen for thepurpose of illustration and description herein is that preferred basedupon requirements for achieving the inventive concepts of the inventionand developing the utility thereof in a desirable manner. It will beunderstood that the particular aspects delineated are not intended toexclude but rather to suggest such other modifications and adaptationsas fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of inducing forced concentration and evaluating the level ofconcentration attained by a participating listener comprising:

producing audible and translatable sounds having indispersed soundswhich are intelligible into concepts, symbols and meanings;superimposing upon said translatable sounds in selected synchronizationtherewith other audible sounds operatively interfering with saidtranslatable sounds to induce a specific concentrative effort by thelistener in order that the translatable sounds are understood andcomprehended; separating the indispersed sounds of the audible andtranslatable sounds from the other audible sounds at the intervals ofoccurrence of said indispersed sounds, and

ascertaining the level of concentration attained by the participatinglistener through evaluation of the translatable sounds which arecomprehended and understood.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 including the step of registering ofthe comprehended and understood translatable sounds in a preselectedmanner from which the ascertaining the level of concentration attainedby the listener is effected.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 including the step of providingvisual means on which the participant listener registers thecomprehended and translatable sounds in a predetermined manner fromwhich the ascertaining the level of concentration attained by thelistener is effected.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein registering means includes aplurality of identifiable locations each providing a place at which theintelligible symbols and meanings which are comprehended and understoodby the listener can be registered.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 wherein the step of respectivelocations. 6. A method of producing a process for inducing forcedconcentration and evaluating the level of concentration attained by aparticipating listener, comprising:

recording on a recording medium audible and translatable sounds havingindispersed sounds which are intelligible into concepts, symbols andmeanings; recording on said medium in selective synchronizedsuperimposition upon said translatable sounds other audible soundsoperatively interfering with said translatable sounds to induce aconcentrative efi'ort by the listener to comprehend and understand thetranslatable sounds;

separating the indispersed sounds of the audible and translatable soundsfrom the other audible sounds at the interval of occurence of saidindispersed sounds, and

providing means for recording by the listener the comprehended andunderstood translatable sounds in a preselected manner which isdeterminative of the level of concentration achieved by the listener.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the recording of saidtranslatable sounds includes interspersing vocal instructions among saidtranslatable sounds.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the recording insuperimposition said other sounds on the translatable sounds includesinterrningling sounds having specific masking and distracting affectsamong said other sounds.

9. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for recordingincludes visually providing a plurality of identifiable locations eachdefining a place at which the intelligible symbols and meaningcomprehended by the listener can be recorded.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said means for recordingincludes arranging said identifiable locations in a rectangular array.

1 l. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said means for recordingincludes forming a plurality of geometric figures each defining one ofthe identifiable locations, and arranging the figures into geometricalpatterns.

12. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said means for recordingincludes arranging said identifiable locations in a circular arraydividable into segments.

13. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of recordingaudible translatable sounds includes:

specifically identifying the identifiable locations; and

correlating each of said specifically identified locations withparticular translatable sounds in order that the comprehended andunderstood translatable sounds can be recorded intheir locations.

14. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said steps of recordingsaid audible and translatable sounds and recording said other audiblesounds are performed on a plurality of recording tracks of saidrecording medium.

1. A method of inducing forced concentration and evaluating the level ofconcentration attained by a participating listener comprising: producingaudible and translatable sounds having indispersed sounds which areintelligible into concepts, symbols and meanings; superimposing uponsaid translatable sounds in selected synchronization therewith otheraudible sounds operatively interfering with said translatable sounds toinduce a specific concentrative effort by the listener in order that thetranslatable sounds are understood and comprehended; separating theindispersed sounds of the audible and translatable sounds from the otheraudible sounds at the intervals of occurrence of said indispersedsounds, and ascertaining the level of concentration attained by theparticipating listener through evaluation of the translatable soundswhich are comprehended and understood.
 2. The method as recited in claim1 including the step of registering of the comprehended and understoodtranslatable sounds in a preselected manner from which the ascertainingthe level Of concentration attained by the listener is effected.
 3. Themethod as recited in claim 2 including the step of providing visualmeans on which the participant listener registers the comprehended andtranslatable sounds in a predetermined manner from which theascertaining the level of concentration attained by the listener iseffected.
 4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein registering meansincludes a plurality of identifiable locations each providing a place atwhich the intelligible symbols and meanings which are comprehended andunderstood by the listener can be registered.
 5. The method as recitedin claim 4 wherein the step of producing audible translatable sounds andinstructions includes: individually identifying the specific locationsof said registering means; and correlating each of said identifiedlocations with particular translatable sounds wherein the comprehendedand understood translatable sounds are registered in their respectivelocations.
 6. A method of producing a process for inducing forcedconcentration and evaluating the level of concentration attained by aparticipating listener, comprising: recording on a recording mediumaudible and translatable sounds having indispersed sounds which areintelligible into concepts, symbols and meanings; recording on saidmedium in selective synchronized superimposition upon said translatablesounds other audible sounds operatively interfering with saidtranslatable sounds to induce a concentrative effort by the listener tocomprehend and understand the translatable sounds; separating theindispersed sounds of the audible and translatable sounds from the otheraudible sounds at the interval of occurence of said indispersed sounds,and providing means for recording by the listener the comprehended andunderstood translatable sounds in a preselected manner which isdeterminative of the level of concentration achieved by the listener. 7.The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the recording of saidtranslatable sounds includes interspersing vocal instructions among saidtranslatable sounds.
 8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein therecording in superimposition said other sounds on the translatablesounds includes intermingling sounds having specific masking anddistracting affects among said other sounds.
 9. The method as recited inclaim 6 wherein said means for recording includes visually providing aplurality of identifiable locations each defining a place at which theintelligible symbols and meaning comprehended by the listener can berecorded.
 10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said means forrecording includes arranging said identifiable locations in arectangular array.
 11. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein saidmeans for recording includes forming a plurality of geometric figureseach defining one of the identifiable locations, and arranging thefigures into geometrical patterns.
 12. The method as recited in claim 9wherein said means for recording includes arranging said identifiablelocations in a circular array dividable into segments.
 13. The method asrecited in claim 9 wherein the step of recording audible translatablesounds includes: specifically identifying the identifiable locations;and correlating each of said specifically identified locations withparticular translatable sounds in order that the comprehended andunderstood translatable sounds can be recorded in their locations. 14.The method as recited in claim 6 wherein said steps of recording saidaudible and translatable sounds and recording said other audible soundsare performed on a plurality of recording tracks of said recordingmedium.